More workers involved in road mishaps

PETALING JAYA: More young workers are getting involved in accidents while commuting to and from their workplace, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

Referring to statistics released by Social Security Organisation (Socso) for 2009 and 2010, she said that while the number of reported accidents within the workplace had dropped from 38,376 in 2009 to 35,616 last year, accidents involving workers travelling to and from work had increased from 20,810 in 2009 to 22,040 last year.

“What is more worrying is that most of the accident victims were aged 30 and below. They are the younger generation and have so much potential, but instead they end up dead or permanently disabled,” she told reporters before delivering her keynote address at the National Rail Safety seminar here yesterday.

Socso Benefits Department general manager Fauzi Jaafar said Socso was studying the trend.

“There are many reasons for the increase in the number of young workers being involved in accidents while commuting,” he said.

“Maybe due to the rise in petrol prices, they opt for motorcycles instead of cars. It could also be because they live far away from their workplace and have to travel long distances, increasing the risk of an accident.

“Or maybe because the cost of living is so high, they have to work harder and longer hours, and drive home stressed, tired or sleepy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maznah praised the Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health for its efforts in organising the first National Rail Safety seminar in Malaysia.

“Seminars like these are important as they create an awareness in the industry on work-related safety,” she said.

She said the ministry was working on an Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan for Malaysia 2015 which targeted zero work-related accidents by 2015.

Source: By YVONNE LIM (yvonnelim@thestar.com.my)